Marker



'May 26, 1953 |Rv|NG 2,639,524

MARKER Filed Jan. 4, 1950 Arrow 5y Patented May 26, 1953 STATES OFFICEMARKER Albert J. irv ing, Brewster, N. Y; assignor to dermark Gompany,Inc, New York, N. "Y., a cnrporation of New York Application January 4,1950,, Serial not 136,753

'8 Claims. (01. 40-

This invention relates to marking or identifying devices and more"particularly to such devices which are adapted for use, by way ofexample, in gardens, flower boxes and the like as identifying markersfor plants.

'One of the "objects of "the'prescnt invention is to provide anidentifying tag or label combined in a novel manner with a supportingstandard of :novel construct-ion.

Another object is to provide a novel device of the above character whichis of simple and inexpensive construction and yet extremely reliahlc anddurable for both outdoor and indoor use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an identificationcard and holdertherefor which may be used in gardens and the like fullyexposed to the elementsfor long and indefinite periods withoutappreciable or detrimental deterioration or other ill effects.

A further object is to provide "a garden label or marker which isnovelly constructed in such a manner as to obviate thenumerous'disadvantages inherent in "known types of devices used for thesame and similar purposes, such as in the type shown in Smith Patent N0. 1,372,205;

A still further object is to provide a card and support therefor whichare novelly constructed and combined so "that the card or even severalcards may be readily installed or removed at will from the support, thenovel combination thereof being such that accidental removal of thecards is substantially impossible.

The above and further objects and novel features of the presentinvention will more fully appear from the following detailed descriptionwhen the same is read in connection with theaccompany'ing drawings. Itis to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for thepurpose of illustration only and are not intended asra definition of thelimits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference char-- acters refer to likeparts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the presentinvention, the same being shown mounted in the1soil1;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the device of Fig. .1;

Fig; 8 is a front view of the face of the card or label embodied'in thedevice :of 1.;

Figs. 4 .and 5 are ifrontzandrside elevation views, respectively,showing a .difierent type of card or label mounted on the supportingstandard; and

Fig. dis :a front view on an enlarged scale showing the face of themodified card embodied in the deviceof 4..

Only two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, by way of example, in thB1fO1'II1 ofidentification markers adapted for use in gardens, flower boxes and thelike. The novel device as shown comprises only two essential elements,both of which are of utmost structural simplicity and adapted for largescale manufacture at relatively low cost from materials which haveexcellent weather-resisting characteristics;

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the novel standardor support itfor the data-bearing card or tag ll consists of a relatively stiff wiresuitably bent at one end and intermediate its ends in' a manner andfor-purposes to be hereinafter fully described. In one suitable form foroutdoor garden'use, the wire support Hi is made of aluminum and is aboutinch in diameter. Such a wire has adequate stiffness, isweatherresistant, and is sufficiently malleable to facilitate thenecessary bending thereof.

Starting with a straight length of wire or equivalent material, thestandard In is formed by bending'the wire intermediate its ends toprovide a semi-loop or bulge 12 which preferably, but not necessarily,comprises an upper horizontal loar i4 and an inclined lower bar l5. Thisprovides a bend or bulge having a shape which tends to reduce the forcerequired to insert the standard into the ground "iii while increasingthe force required to accidentally dislodge it after it is in pos'ition;The 'bulge or bend 12 also serves to prevent the standard from beinghove out of the ground-during frosts or freezing weather. The bend servethe further purposes of indicating how far the standard should beinserted into the ground, and it also tends to prevent turning of thedevice.

The card holding part at the upper end of the standard or stake 1-0 isformed by bending the wire rearwardly at 11 through an angle ofapproximately 135 and then executing a reverse bend at 18 through anangle of about or slightly more than An inclined shelf comprisingarmsIll and 2t 'i-s'thus for-med for supporting the datab'eari ng tag orlabel H. The tip end of the wire support, i. e, the upper end of shelfarm 2!), is then bent forwardly to approximate .a semi-circle and form ahook ll to position and hold the upper end of the label.

The data-bearing card or label is preferably, but not necessarily, madeof a tough yet flexible resilient plastic in sheet form. The necessarythickness of these labels is somewhat exaggerated i-n'thedr-awings initheinterest of clarity. Various known types of plastics, such as vinylplastics,

wishes his markers to be relatively inconspicuous,

the card may be of a clear green plastic which blends with the foliageand on which the desired data may be written with a yellow or othercolored pencil, such as those known commercially as Eagle prismacolorpencils. If a more conspicuous marker is required, a brilliant orangeplastic can be used and the writing may be done with a blackweather-proof pencil. These are merely examples of relatively extremepossibilities.

The data-bearing card shown in Figs. 1 to 3 forms a novel andadvantageous combination with the standard or support above described.The card, shown as being rectangular, may be of any other suitable shapeand is provided with a hole 22 at the center thereof near the top edgeand an oppositely disposed notch 23 in the bottom edge thereof. The hole22 is just large enough to slidably receive the hook 2|, and the widthor height of the card is such that when the hook is i If desired, thecard may be slightly bent and hence under compressed condition wheninstalled so that its edges will be yieldably pressed against the bendof hook 2| and shelf arm I9 by the resiliency inherent in the card. Anappreciable effort is then required to snap the bottom edge of the cardor label into and out of mounted position. The radius of notch 23, whichis shown as being semi-circular, may be somewhat less than the radius ofwire It so that it will frictionally grip the latter.

In order to install the card or label I I of Fig. 3 on the wire standardIn, the card is held in dotted line position a with the data-bearingface thereof to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and moved rearwardly tocause the hook 2| to enter hole 22. The card is then tilted rearwardlyto dotted line position I? (Fig. 2) and thereafter pivoted about thehook through an angle of 180 in the plane of the card as indicated bydotted lines and the arrows in Fig. 1. When the notch 23 is adjacentbend I'I, the bottom edge of the card is snapped into final positionover the slight hump 24. The extent of this hump may be increased bymaking the angle between arms l9 and 2E) slightly less than a rightangle. It is literally impossible to accidentally remove from thestandard a card or label thus installed. Even if the bottom edge of thelabel iS dislodged, the card will almost invariably fall to the hangingposition A (Fig. 2) with the wire extending through the hole 22 forloosely support ing the label. If desired, one or more extra labels maybe depended from the standard in this manner even when one is mounted inthe usual manner above described.

If desired, the label may be installed in in.- verted position from thatheretofore described. In other words, the hole 22 may be near the bottomedge of the label and surround the shelf arm I9 while the notch 23engages hook 2|. To install the label in this manner, the same must bebent 4': slightly to get the upper edge of the card, and hence notch 23,into the hook 2|. This renders installation and removal slightly moredifficult, but by the same token the possibility of accidentaldislodgment is greatly reduced.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6, the standard or stake I0 issubstantially the same as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but a modifiedform of card or label 25 is employed. This card is provided with twooppositely disposed notches 26 and 2'! in the upper and lower edgesthereof, respectively. The upper notch 26 engages the inner surface ofthe bend of the hook 2 and the lower edge is snapped into position overhump 24 for engagement with shelf arm IS in the same manner describedabove for the mounting of card There is thus provided a novel gardenlabel or marker which is practically indestructible by either humanmisuse or by the elements under the most adverse weather conditions. Thedevice is constituted by only two weather-proof elements or parts whichmay be separately constructed and readily combined in a simple andinexpensive manner. The label is capable of carrying data in a legiblecondition through all kinds of weather and for long periods of timewithout smudging or weathering away, and is so supported as to bereadily visible to an observer standing erect. The novel mounting of thelabel is also such that the face thereof is not apt to be spattered withmud, but any dirt collecting thereon will be easily washed off byfalling rain or water from a sprinkler. The label per se may be used andre-used an indefinite number of times on the same or differentstandards, and new labels may be readily and quickly installed. Thecards or labels shown in Fig. 3 may be attached to plants by means of awire or string extending through the hole 22 or to flower boxes and thelike by means of a tack through said hole. Additionally, the novelsupport and combination provided by the invention is such thatsubstantially the entire face of the card is unobstructed by thesupport.

Although only a limited number of embodiments of the present inventionhave been illustrated in the drawings and described in the foregoingspecification, it is to be expressly understood that the invention isnot limited thereto. For example, the label or tag may be formed inother shapes and may be made of other materials, such as metal, wood,fibre board, etc. If desired, the required data may be permanentlyembossed on or otherwise applied to the tag. Also, the stake or standardmay be made of materials other than aluminum. The shape thereof need notbe cylindrical, and the angles which arms I9 and 20 make with thevertical may be varied as desired. Vari ous other changes may also bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven-v tion aswill now be understood by those skilled in the art. For a definition ofthe limits of the invention, reference is had primarily to the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

identifying marker and the like comprising a standard made from aunitary length of rod-like material having an end portion thereof bentto form a hook and having spaced reverse bends intermediate its ends toform a laterally extending arm with a surface facing the inner surfaceof said hook and a laterally offset portion connecting said hook andbends, the longitudinal axis of said bent end portion of the standardbemgin a common plane and a card of sheet material having a holeadjacent one edge thereof through which the standard extends, said cardbeing supported edgewise between said surfaces with the periphery ofsaid hole engaging one of said surfaces and the remote opposite edge ofsaid sheet engaging the other of said surfaces.

2. An identifying marker as defined in claim 1 wherein said remoteopposite edge of the card has a notch therein engaging said othersurface.

3. An identification marker or the like comprising a standard made froma unitary bar of stiff but bendable material having a supporting leg andan end portion bent to form a shelf comprising a first arm extendingrearwardly and downwardly from the upper end of said leg when the latteris vertical, a second arm extending upward- 1y from the lower end ofsaid first arm and a forwardly extending hook at the upper end of saidsecond arm, the open side of said hook facing said first arm and thelongitudinal axis of said leg, arms and hook being in a common plane,and a stiff resilient data bearing sheet interposed edgewise between theadjacent surfaces of said hook and said first arm for support by saidshelf, said sheet and bar cooperating to hold the sheet against edgewisemovement relative to said shelf.

4. An identification marker comprising a standard constituted by asingle stiff Wire having bends in an end portion thereof constitutingmeans for supporting a data bearing card, said wire comprising a firstportion adapted to extend into the ground, a portion offset laterallyfrom said first portion, one end of said offset portion being connectedto said first portion by reverse bends in said wire, and a bend at theother end of said offset portion forming a hook, the open side of whichfaces said reverse bends, the longitudinal axis of the wire constitutedby said portions and bends being in a common plane.

5. An identification marker comprising in combination a standard asdefined in claim 4 and a resilient data bearing card supported edgewiseunder compression between the bights of said hook and one of saidreverse bends, said standard and card cooperating to hold said cardagainst edgewise movement.

6. An identification marker as defined in claim 6 5 wherein said wire iscylindrical and the edge surfaces of the card engaging the wire arearcuate to partially surround and closely engage the curved surface ofthe wire.

7. A standard for an identification marker eonstituted by a singe stiffwire comprising a first portion, an intermediate portion bent back uponsaid first portion so that the angle therebetween is less than a rightangle, a second portion joined to said intermediate portion by a reversebend, and a bend forming a hook at the free end of said second portion,said hook being on the same side of the latter as said intermediateportion and the open side of the hook facing said intermediate portion,whereby edge surfaces of a data bearing card may engage the bight ofsaid hook and said intermediate portion for support, the longitudinalaxis of the part of said wire constituted by said portions and bendsbeing in a common plane.

8. An identification marker comprising a standard as defined in claim 7and a data card. extending edgewise between said bight and saidintermediate portion, said card having a hole adj acent one edge thereofthrough which the standard extends, a portion of the periphery of saidhole and the remote opposite edge of the card being engaged with saidbight and said intermediate portion and said hole and wire being shapedto permit the card to revolve on the wire.

ALBERT J. IRVING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 343,365 Daniels June 8, 1896 2,052,030 Holzer Aug. 25, 19362,155,992 Menachof Apr. 25, 1939 2,168,912 Meyer Aug. 8, 1939 2,556,825Smith June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,131 GreatBritain Nov. 19, 1896 303,249 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1929 593,236 GreatBritain Oct. 10, 1947

